Machine for gathering and transporting snow.



PATENTED MAR. 17, 1908. -W. A. WARMAN.

MACHINE FOR GATHERING AND TRANSPORTING SNOW.

Witnesses A %%%W% W APPLICIATION FILED NOV. 2. 1907.

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No. 882,132. PATENTED MAR. 17,- 1908.

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MACHINE FOR GATHERING AND TRANSPORTING SNOW. APPLICATION PILgD NOV. 2,1907.

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No. 882,132. W. A. WARMAN.

MACHINE FOR GATHERING AND TRANSPORTING SNOW.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2, 1907.

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PATENTED MAR. 17, 1908.

WILLIAM A. WARMAN, O1 MONOTON, NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA.

MACHINE FOR GATHERING AND TRANSPORTING SNOW.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 17, 1908.

Application filed. November 2, 1907. Serial No. 400,415.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM A. XVARMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Moncton, in the Province of New Brunswick and Dominion ofCanada, have invented a new and useful Machine for Gathering andTransporting Snow, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in apparatus for gatheringand transporting snow, being designed more particularly for cleaningsnow out of Tailroad yards and cuttings and from the tracks of streetrailways in cities, in all of which instances the snow must not only becleaned from the tracks, but, because of lack of space, must often betransported for considerable distances to be deposited where it will notbe in the way.

The invention comprises, essentially, a train made 11 of a number ofcars, one of which is provided with power means for elevating snowgathered by a scoop under the car, and this elevator delivers the snowto a conveyer also driven by the source of power carried by the firstcar, which conveyer carries the snow so elevated to the more remote carsof the train, to be there deposited on the floors of'the cars fortransportation to some distant point. Upon the car next to the power carthere is located a snow plow, which may be drawn through the succeedingcars when they are filled with snow and have been transported to thedumping place, so as to force the snow out from the side of the car, thesnow carrying cars being provided with sides which may be removedlaterally to a sufficient distance to permit the snow to fall from thecars to the side of the roadbed.

The train is drawn by a locomotive engine or, in the case of streetrailways, by a motor car, with the power car before referred to at therear end of the train. As the train passes over the snow covered tracks,the fallen snow is directed toward the scoop, before mentioned, and itis elevated and carried to the forward cars of the train. After thesecars have been filled with snow, the en-- tire train is carried to thesnow dump, when the locomotive or motor car is uncoupled from the trainand connected to the plow only, which is drawn through the snow filledcars after the manner of removing dirt from dirt laden flat cars of dirttransporting trains. When the plow has completed its work, it iswithdrawn to the car upon which it is normally carried by means ofsuitable mechanisms carricd on the power car. The invention will,however, be best understood from the following detail description, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings forming part of thisspecification, in which drawings,

Figures 1 and 2, taken sem'ctim, illustrate a snow cleaning trainconstructed and assembled in accordance with my invention. Fig. 3 is aside elevation of the power car.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the same.

Fig. 5 is a cross section, on a larger scale than the other figures, ofone of the snow carrying cars. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the snow plow.Figs. 7 to 18, both inclusive, are detail views.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a car 1 which will be calledthe power car, another car 2 next in order to the power car, andnormally carrying the plow 3, which will be hereinafter described. Thiscar 2 is followed by one or more cars 4 designed to receive thecollected snow, and at the end of the train there is a terminal car 5 towhich the locomotive engine or motor car, as the case may be, iscoupled. The locomotive or other prime mover for the train is not shownin the drawings, but it will be understood that it is coupled to thatend of the train remote from the power car, which latter is located atthe rear end of the train. The several cars are of the ordinary flat cartype, but differ therefrom in certain details, which will appear furtheron.

ln the power car 1 there is an elevator 6 extending around sprocketwheels on a shaft 7 below the floor of the car, and another shaft 8carrying sprocket wheels at or above the roof of the car. This elevatoris composed of a belt made up of a number of chain links 9 with crossbars 10 at intervals carry ing blades 11 having angle bases 12 forsecuring the blades to the bars 10. A small section of the carrier isshown on an enlarged scale in Fig. 7.

In order to provide for certain mechanism which will hereinafter appear,the elevator is made in two parallel sections with a slight spacebetween them, as indicated in Fig. 4. ()n the elevating side of theelevator belt there is a protecting casing 13 extending from the floorof the car to the roof thereof, and on the return side of the belt thereis a similar casing 14.

Below the car, and constituting a continuation in effect of thepartition 13, is a curved apron 15 terminating in a hinged section 16edge provided with projecting teeth 17 firmly secured thereto. The apronis Wider than the space between the rails of the track and, in orderthat the Working edge of the apron may be brought close to the ground,the section 16 is notched, as shown at 18, to fit over the treads of therails. It will be seen that with the working edge of the apron close tothe ground, that snow lying on the ground will be directed up on theapron as the car moves along in the proper direction until engaged bythe elevator 13 when the snow will be carried to the upper part of thecar over the drum 8 to be disposed of as will hereinafter appear. Theteeth 17 serve to loosen up hard snow or ice.

Housed in the rear end of the car 1 is a steam boiler 19 supplying steamto an engine 20 from which, by means of suitable'gearing 21, motion istransmitted to a shaft 22 extending laterally through the car and beyondthe sides of the same, and supported upon suitable journal bearings.Exterior to the car the shaft 22 carries at each end sprocket wheels 23coupled by sprocket chains 24 to Other sprocket wheels 25 upon the endof a shaft 26 carrying the drum 8. The shaft 26 likewise carries gearwheels 27 meshing with other gear wheels 28 upon another shaft 29extending laterally through the car and carrying sprocket wheels 30witliin the car and substantially of the same width as the car. Theshaft 22 likewise carries a winding drum 31 which may be coupled to theshaft through a suitable controlling clutch 32 when necessary. Thepurpose of this drum will presently appear. Since it is necessary attimes to lift the hinged portion 16 of the apron thisis coupled by alink 33 to a bell crank lever 34, which latter, in turn, is connected bya link 35 to the piston of a cylin der 36.

There are provided two wings 37, 37 on each side of the car secured byhinges 38 at one end to the car so as to move laterally with relation tothe car. These wings 37, if made of wood, have their free edges metalbound, as shown at, 39. These wings are connected by chains 40 tosuitable winding engines, indicated diagrammatically by the cylinders41. The cylinder 36 and the cylinders 41 may, of course, be operated bysteam power, but, since they are used only occasionally, the steam usedmight ultimately condense and freeze. Therefore, since air pressure,either from the locomotive or from a special air compressor driven bythe engine 20 is available, it is preferred to operate the parts drivenby the cylinders 36 and 41 by air pressure. l/Vhen the car 1 is inmotion in the direction already noted, the chains 40 are let out as faras desired, so that the wings spread laterally as far as may benecessary to gather the snow for a considerable distance on each side ofthe rails, and these wings direct the snow toward the scoop 15, to beultimately carried by the conveyers 6 to the top of the car.

Cars number 2, 3 and 4, designated by the reference numerals 2, 4 and 5,have no roofs. In each of these cars on each side near the top is anL-shaped guide strip 42 shown in detail in Fig. 13, and below the guidestrip and spaced therefrom, but parallel therewith, is a similar guidestrip 43 of Ushape. At each end of the car where the guide strips 42 and43 terminate they are expanded, as shown at 44.

In car 5 there isa shaft 45 extending laterally across the car andcarrying sprocket wheels 46. The shaft 45 is mounted in bearings 47 faston the ends of rods 48 sliding in suitable blocks on ledges on the innerfaces of the sides of the car. There is a rod 48 on each side of thecar, and surrounding these rods are springs 49 tending to draw thebearings and the shaft 45 toward the front end of the car, that is, inthe direction away from the other cars. The strips 42 form the uppersupports and the strip 43 the lower supports for an endless carrier 50passing around the sprocket wheels 30 in car 1 and extending to andaround the sprocket wheels 46 in car 5. This conveyer 50 is composed ofa number of equally spaced lateral blades or strips 51,

preferably of wood bolted to brackets 52 on link blocks 53, which latterare connected by other links 54. The links 53 and 54 on the two sides ofthe train constitute sprocket connections for the blades 51, whichsprocket connections or chains travel on the guides 42 Y and in theguides 43, and these chains receive motion from the sprocket wheels 30con nected, as before described, to the engine 20.

In the car 1 partially surrounding the sprocket wheels 30 and concentrictherewith, and then extending horizontally to the end of the car, is aconduit 55 beneath the lower run of the conveyer 50. Extendingthroughout the length of the car 2, and close to but beneath the underrun of the conveyer 50, is another conduit 56. The snow which is carriedup on the elevator 6 and passes over the drum 8 falls upon the conveyer50 which extends into the car 1, and the under run of which travelstoward the front of the train.

The snow is therefore carried in the conduit 5556 through the car 2,but, when the car 4 is reached, there being no conduit in the way, thesnow falls to the floor of said car and ultimately fills the same.

If the train be provided with a number of snow receiving cars 4, thenthe space between the cars beneath the conveyer 50 will be provided withshort bridging conduit sections, so that after the first car has beenfilled with snow, the succeeding cars will become filled with the snowwithout danger of the snow falling between the cars. For this purpose,each snow receiving car 4 may be provided with a short conduit section57 which would match a similar conduit section of another like car, andthese sections may be difierently placed on the two ends of the car sothat when the cars come together, the sections will overlap and allowfor the stretching and bunching of the cars due to the coupler springs.This is also provided for by the springs 49 which permit the train tostretch or bunch without bringing undue strain or producing undueslackness of the conveyer 50. Now, let it be assumed that the snowgathering train has been used in the railroad yards or in a railroadcutting or upon the car tracks of the city, and the snow receiving carsare full of snow. Under these conditions, the wings 37 are broughtagainst the sides of the car 1, and the apron section 16 is lifted outof the way and the train is drawn by the locomotive or motor car to asuitable dumping point.

The sides 58 of each car at are hinged to the car near the top thereof,as shown at 59, while the bottom of these side members are held normallyin place by latches 60 under the control of air cylinders 61. Now, whenthe loaded cars are brought to the dumping place, the latches 60 areunhooked from the door 58 and the snowplow 3 is drawn through the loadedcar or cars by means of a chain or cable 62.which is secured to thelocomotive or motor car after such locomotive or motor car is uncoupledfrom the train.

The snow plow 3 is shown with a broad base which serves to properlyguide the plow through the cars and the sides slope from a sharp prowtoward the other end of the plow, so as to force the snow sidewise whendrawn through the cars or cars. The result is that the snow is forcedout of the cars through the open sides thereof. Should the dump permitthe deposition of the snow on one side only of the track, then the plowwill be shaped to force the snow out one side only of the snow carryingcar or cars. The car 2 is made without a floor, so that there ispractically no danger of the plow freezing fast to the car as theremight be if there was a [1001' present. The plow is supported on rollerssuitably journaled in the sills of the car. At intervals along the guidestrips 43 upon the supporting parts thereof are obstructing lugs 63, sothat the conveyer 50 will receive shocks and jars as it travels alonacting to dislodge therefrom any snow which may tend to cling to suchconveyer. After the cars have been relieved of the snow, the plow 3 maybe re turned to the car 2 by means of a chain or cable 64 connected tothe plow and leading to the drum 31, which may then be coupled up to theengine 20. It is, of course, evident that a suitable tender may becoupled to the rear of the train for supplying the boiler 19 with waterand fuel. In the case of an electric road, the engine 20 and boiler 19may, of course, be replaced by a suitable electric mo tor, and theseveral air cylinders may also be replaced by electric motors.

I claim:

1. A snow gathering equipment for railways comprising a power cardesigned to be located at the rear of a train of cars and provided witha scoop beneath it and an elevator for conveying the snow gathered bythe scoop to the top of the car, a car next adjacent to the power earand normally housing a snow plow, other cars connected to the plow car,and a conveyer receiving motion from the power car, said conveyorextending through but inoperative to the plow car and also extendingthrough and in operative relation to the snow receiving cars.

2. A snow collecting and conveying equipment for railroads comprising apower car provided with a snow scoop and snow elevator leading therefromto the top of the car, another car connected to the power car andhousing a snow plow, still other cars for receiving snow and throughwhich the plow is adapted to move, a conveyer extending through theseveral cars from the power car, said conveyer being inoperative to theplow car but in operative relation to the snow receiving cars, and atension means for main taining the conveyer in taut'conditionirrespective of the stretching or bunching of the train.

3. In a snow gathering equipment for rail ways, a power car providedwith a snow scoop, operative in the active direction of travel of thecar and having the end adjacent to the ground movable to and from thesame and also provided with teeth on its active edge, means on the powercar for elevating or depressing the movable section of the scoop withoutdisturbing the remainder thereof, and an elevator for the gathered snowinclined upwardly toward the top of the car in the direction of activetravel of said car.

1. In a snow gathering equipment for railways, a power car provided witha snowgathering scoop, adjustable side wings for directing snow towardthe scoop from the sides of the track, and an elevator leading from thescoop upwardly through the car in the direction of the active travel ofthe car.

5. In a snow gathering equipment for railways, a car without flooringfor housing a plow adapted to be moved through the other cars containingsnow, a conduit on said car above the space reserved for the plow, andmeans throughout the length of the conduit for supporting a conveyertherein.

6. In a snow gathering equipment for railways, box cars for receivingand conveying snow, said cars having open ends and hinged Ways, a carWithout flooring and provided sides, and having the top open and thereprowith rollers in place of the flooring, for housvided withlongitudinal ways for a conveyer.

7. In a snow gathering equipment for railways, a snow receiving andconveying car 5 provided near its upper portion with tracks or guidesfrom an endless conveyer with the guides for the lower runs of suchconveyer provided with obstructing bosses for impart- 10 ing shocks andjars to said conveyer. V

8. In a snow gatherlng equlpment for ralling a plow adapted to be movedthrough other cars containing snow.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

IVILLIAM A. IVARMAN. Vitnesses:

R. A. FREELUT, GUsTAvE BEUTELsPAoH R.

